Pilot lamp mounting tool



June 24, 1952 s. G. cALFEE PILOT 'LAMP MOUNTING TOOL Filed Feb. 17, 1947 rll I l I I I ||||l E E F L A C G. S.

Stratum',

Patented `une 24, 19.52

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a lamp socket mounting tool and more particularly to a device of this character adapted to rigidly connect with the internal threads of the outer fitting of a panel lamp receptacle whereby the receptacle may be tightened or loosened upon a panel support.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered heretofore in mounting and removing lamp receptacles of the one-hole type by reason that with most such fixtures no provision is made on the smooth chamfered surface of the outer fitting thereof for connecting with a wrench or like tool whereby rotation of this member may be facilitated when tightening the assembly on a panel. i

It is the general practice when mounting such lamp receptacles, to grip the smooth tapered surface of the outer fitting thereof with pliers or a like tool whereby the fitting is rotated to the face of the panel by threadedly engaging the clamp nut to the rear of the panel. The gripping of the fitting in this manner often results in so marring and disguring the smoothly finished surface thereof that the ventire fixture must be removed and discarded. Even when no apparent damage is sustained by the fitting, the use of pliers is objectionable by reason that such care is required in the use thereof, to prevent marring the surface of the fitting, that often the receptacle assembly is left insecurely clamped to become loose on the panel when the lens retaining sleeve thereof is unscrewed for replacing a burnt out lamp.

The present invention provides a tool adapted to be brought into locking engagement with the internal threads of the outer fitting of a lamp receptacle assembly of the one-hole type whereby the tting may be rotated by the tool.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a tool adapted to rigidly connect with the threaded inner surface of the outer fitting of a panel lamp receptacle assembly, whereby the fitting may be rotated from a position in front of the panel for tightening or loosening the receptacle on a panel support.

Another object is to provide a tool adapted tok thread into the outer fitting of a panel lamp receptacle, the tool including means whereby the threads thereof are caused to lock with the threads of the fitting whereby the fitting may be rotated by the tool for either tightening or loosening the receptacle on a mounting panel.

A further object is to provide a tool having a threaded portion thereon -for threadedly engaging the internal threads of the outer tting of a 2 panel lamp receptacle, the tool including a nut mounted on the threaded portion of the tool for jamming the threads of the lamp receptacle with the threads of the tool thereby to permit rotation of the fitting at will by the tool.

A still further object is to provide a tool having a plurality of expandible locking elements adapted to threadedly engage the internal threads of the outer fitting of a panel lamp receptacle, the tool including a retractible camming surface adapted to expand the elements of the tool into locking engagement with the threads of the fitting in a manner suitable for rotating the fitting as the surface is retracted.

Additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are those residing in and relating to the novel construction and arrangement of the elements thereof, as will more clearly appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of a preferred embodiment of the invention connected to a panel lamp receptacle;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of an alternate form of the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation partly .cut away of the clamping assembly of a lamp receptacle and lamp cap mounted on a panel.

The tool, generally designated by the numeral G, is shown on Fig. 1 and comprises a body member l having provided thereon a handle portion 8 that may, if desired, be formed as an integral part of the body member, or made either from wood or plastic material pressed over or cast about the body of the tool. The surface of the handle may be ribbed as illustrated or otherwise suitably finished to facilitate gripping of the tool when applied to tighten or loosen a panel lamp fixture, generally designated 9 upon a panel support I0.

The head Il of the tool is recessed at I8 and suitably threaded for receiving thereon a wing or jamb nut I2 adapted to travel freely the length of the threaded surface to a stop or shoulder i3 preferably formed as an integral part of the tool body.

In applying the tool for tightening a lamp iixture of the type disclosed on a panel support, the lens and retaining ring I4 of the xture is first removed from the fitting l5 to allow the threaded head Il of the tool to be threadedly inserted therein. This head H of the tool is preferably provided with a recess I8 suitable for accommodating the glass envelope l1 of the lamp thereby allowing the tool to be connected with the fitting l without requiring the removal of the lamp therefrom. When the threaded portion of the tool is engaging a substantial portion of the inner threads of the fitting, the wing nut i2, threaded over the head of the tool, is rotated to the face I6 of the fitting and drawn tightly thereto while the tool is held against rotation by means of the handle B. This tightening of the wing nut to the face of the fitting operates to bind the threads of the fitting to those of the tool in a manner to permit rotation of the fitting within the nut i9 positioned behind the panel to either loosen or tighten the receptacle on a panel support.

To remove the tool from the fitting, the tool is held against rotation by means of the handle 8 while the nut 2 thereof is backed off from its position against the face I6 of the fitting. This operation frees the threads of the tool with those of the fitting thereby allowing the tool to be easily unscrewed therefrom.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 provides that the handle portion of the tool generally designated 3G', be composed of two independently movable cylinder like members 26 and 'i the latter member being centrally threaded and adapted to journal within a recess 29 provided in the cylinder or body 25 and retained therein in any suitable manner as by the lug screw 3l threadedly connected with cylinder 25 and adapted to engage an annular groove 32 formed in the cylinder or nut 21.

rfhreadedly connected with the nut 2i and adapted to move longitudinally along the axis thereof responsive to rotation of the nut is a shaft 33 provided with a conical surface 313 that is adapted to cam outwardly the expandible elements or segments 35 of the body member 25 as the tapered portion of the shaft is drawn inwardly against the corresponding conical surface4 31 provided on the inner face of each of the segments as shown. These segments 35 are formed as the result of dia-metrical slots or cuts til extending across the reduced portion 4| of the tool body 26 after it has been threaded and provided with the conical surface 31. The lug screw and keyway M. and 45 respectively, prevent rotation of the shaft with respect to the body 26 when the nut 21 is rotated for positioning the cam surface 34 of the shaft relative to the cam surface 31 of the respective segments. A sleeve 45 preferably supports the shaft 33 centrally of the bore 13'.' provided in the b ody 26.

A retaining Washer 41 secured to the end of the shaft 33 by screw 48 operates as a stop to prevent the shaft becoming separated from the nut 21 when the tool is being adjusted to a segment contracted position. The shoulder 5i) provided on the shaft is positioned with respect to the cam surfaces 34 thereon so as to prevent possible overtravel of the shaft in an inwardly direction when the tool is not connected to a fitting, which might operate to spread the segments of the tool excessively and leave them set in a fiared or expanded position.

Before threadedly inserting the tool into the outer fitting of a lamp receptacle, for the purpose of mounting or removing the fixture from a panel support, as the case may be, the nut 21 of the tool is rotated in a manner to extend outwardly the shaft 33 thereby tov prevent the possibility of the segments 35 being prematurely spread by the cam surface 34 bearing thereagainst. After the tool has been inserted into threaded engagement with the fitting I5 as shown in Fig. 2, the nut 21 thereof is rotated to draw the tapered portion 34 of the shaft inwardly against the tapered surface 31 of the segments thereby to spread the segments of the tool into binding and locking engagement with the threaded inner surface of the fitting. The seizing of the fitting in this manner permits it to be rotated by means of the tool in the direction desired for tightening or loosening the receptacle upon a mounting panel without marring or defacing the surface of the fitting I5.

To remove the tool from the fixture, the nut 21 thereof is rotated in the direction to extend the shaft outwardly of the tool to allow the segments 35 thereof to move inwardly to free themselves of their locking engagement with the fitting I5 of the xture, thereby allowing the tool to be easily withdrawn therefrom.

While the invention has been described with reference to two examples thereof which give satisfactory results, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art to4 which the invention pertains, after understanding the invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is intended therefore, in the appending claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

The invention herein described and claimed may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States 1. A pilot lamp receptacle mounting tool of the character disclosed for rotating an internally threaded fitting of the lamp receptacle to mount the receptacle on a panel comprising, in combination, a tubular body member, a handle provided at one end of said body member, a plurality of elongated flexible segments on the other end of said body member, said segments' having threads thereon for connecting with the internal threads of said fitting, a shaft movable longitudinally through said body member, a threaded portion provided on said shaft adjacent said handle, means including a keyway and stud for preventing rotary movement of said shaft in the body while permitting axial movement therein, a nut journaled in the handle end of said body member and arranged to threadedly connect with the threaded portion of said shaft, said nut having an annular groove therein, a pin carried by said handle and extendingY into said groove to prevent axial movement of the nut with respect to the handle whereby said shaft is moved longitudinally through said body forcefully in either direction when the nut is rotated, and av conical cam connected at. its vertex to the end of said shaft adjacent said flexible segments and constructed and arranged to. spread said fiexible segments into binding engagement with the fitting as the shaft is drawn inwardly or selectively to be released therefrom as the shaft is extended outwardly with respect to said body member.

2. A pilot lamp receptacle mounting tool of the character disclosed for rotating an internally threaded fitting of the lamp receptacle to mount the receptacle on a panel comprising, in combination, a tubular body member, a handle provided at. one end of said body-member, a plurality of elongated flexible segments on the other end 5 of said body member, said segments having threads thereon for connecting with the internal threads of said tting, a shaft movable longitudinally through said body member, a threaded portion provided on said shaft adjacent said handle, means including a keyway and stud for preventing rotary movement of said shaft in the body while permitting longitudinal movement therein, a nut having journaled connection with the handle end of said body member and having threaded connection with the threaded portion of said shaft, said journaled connection being free rotationally and fixed longitudinally whereby said shaft is moved longitudinally through said body forcefully in either direction when the nut is rotated, and a conical cam connected at its vertex to the end of said shaft adjacent said exible segments and constructed and arranged to spread said flexible segments into binding engagement with the fitting as the 2o shaft is drawn inwardly or selectively to be released therefrom as the shaft is extended outwardly with respect to said body member.

SONY G. CALFEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 680,560 Barnes Aug. 13, 1901 736,991 Matthews Aug. 25, 19013 836,478 Woerner Nov. 20, 1906 1,415,734 Thomas et al 111111 May 9, 1922 1,442,626 McGee Jan. 16, 1923 1,851,421 Conklin Mar. 29, 1932 1,872,392 Bishman et al Aug. 16, 1932 2,392,843 Eckener Jan. 15, 1946 

